Scott Fong has done a lot for the heat treatment industry, both on projects as a Red Seal, Blue Seal Journeyman welder and field heat treatment technician as well as behind the scenes assisting in the development of the Field Heat Treatment Technician occupation. Perhaps his largest contribution was creating KASI Technologies in 2006.
This hands-on founder built his company from the ground up, making KASI Technologies the industry leader in the area of sales, rentals and service of specialty mechanical equipment. The company’s roots were set in welding pre-heat equipment and boast the best maintained and largest rental fleet of this type of equipment in the country.
KASI is also the authorized distributor of Hotfoil-EHS products, Hi-Force hydraulic tools, Mactech Machining equipment and Plarad Torque tools. The company rents out a variety of bolting tools, hydraulic lifting products and field machining equipment to a range of clients across the country.
“Typically, we define our clients in regard to steel fabrication and repair. We have a large client base in the petrochemical sector and pipelines but we do a lot of work with clients in mining equipment repair, power generation, shipyards and even the renewables sector,” says Jason Bindon, general manager for KASI Technologies.
Most clients are located and working in the steel fabrication and repair industry in Western Canada but KASI has expanded its geographic scope across the country and has a growing number of international customers as well.
With its growing portfolio of quality products and services available to a growing number of clients across Canada, the company has enjoyed significant expansion over the past two years. This necessitated the opening of a new 9,500-square-foot facility in Sherwood Park that allowed the company to expand its offerings and capabilities and a new branch in Fort McMurray established this fall to better support its northern Alberta clients.
The company also grew by one important employee with the addition of Jason Bindon as the general manager, which allowed Fong to leave the day-to-day operations to his GM so he could devote more time and attention to product-line management and product development. Bindon brings technical savvy as well as a solutions-based focus to the company that fits well with KASI’s continual evolution in the field. Bindon’s addition to the team with Fong, Darcy Durand and Jason Taylor combines for over 80 years of industry knowledge backed by field experience.
“We bring a lot of value on the technical side of things, on the applications, on how this equipment is being used, and we’ve been able to take that knowledge and experience and help relate it back to the clients,” says Jason Bindon.
In fact, it’s KASI’s technical knowledge that sets it apart from the competition and that has spurred its growth over the past 16 years. The team isn’t satisfied just writing up a rental agreement or bill of sale for equipment; they use their technical expertise and vast experience gained from servicing and operating the equipment to ensure clients get the right piece of equipment that’ll make their project successful. KASI represents multiple manufacturers, enjoying exclusivity with some, but the team never recommends a product that isn’t the best application for the job. The team digs deeper into the specifics of the project or application to find out exactly what clients need the equipment to do and then find the best and most cost-effective path to achieve that goal.
Clients have come to equate KASI with quality, making it the preferred partner for large and small projects across industry sectors. And partnerships are exactly what the company is interested in fostering. KASI was never intended to be just a tool rental company; the team wants to develop long-term relationships with clients that help them expand their productivity or grow their business into areas previously unattainable without KASI’s equipment and training.
“We’re not a company that just wants to provide a piece of equipment. We want to provide a proper solution to our clients and ensure their successful execution of projects,” Bindon says.
Clients find out quickly that KASI isn’t a standard sales and rental shop. What started as a product specialist sales and rental company now has considerable value-added services that elevate KASI to a class all its own. The subject matter experts at the company offer technical support and advice along with training on both rented and purchased equipment to set clients up for success. The team also offers engineering and design support on KASI’s products, making them unique in today’s market.
KASI carries the largest inventory of welding pre-heat equipment and consumables in Canada, but if the company doesn’t have exactly what a client needs, the KASI team will customize a piece of equipment or application to more precisely meet their needs. They have become trusted solutions advisors.
“KASI has really developed a client base that requires a change within the industry, a change to the types of equipment that has been used in the industry for years, and that want to evolve the technology that has been the custom over the past 30 years and moving toward a new technology age,” Bindon says.
KASI Technologies is constantly evolving, looking for better ways to connect with clients while growing its product lines and value-added services. It seeks out trailblazers in the market to partner with to revolutionize the industry as it streamlines its incredible service for clients.
Jason Bindon is proud of the integrity, quality and innovation upon which the company was built, and he would love to take the foundation that the team has developed in Alberta and recreate it across North America.
“What got us here is not what is going to keep us here tomorrow,” he says. And with incredible service, high-quality products and innovative technicians, tomorrow looks pretty great for KASI Technologies.
Unit 4 – 885 Memorial Drive
Fort McMurray, AB, T9K 0K4
Tel: 780-440-1749
After hours: 780-893-7793
kasi.ca